Can opener



May 13, 1952 N. S. ECKMAYER CAN OPENER` Filed' Feb. 28, 1948 INVENTOR. dwlas 5., kmgyer BY AP/2m Patented May 13, 1952 UNIT-Eosrarss TENT ortica This invention relates to can openers, and has for an object the provision of new and improved can openers, particularly suitable for vquickly opening beer cans, and which are suitable for opening other types of cans as well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener having a cutting blade, which `is carried within a tubular support, or applicator, and wherein the tubular support is adapted to be telescopically disposed about a can to be l opened, and upon relative movement, cause the cutter to pierce the top of the can to be opened, and form a substantially triangularly shaped aperture similar to that made by ordinary beer can openers. f

A further object of the invention is to provide an applicator and cutter of the type mentioned, wherein the applicator may be telescopically engaged with a can to be opened, moved to pierce the same, and then relatively rotated With reference to said can, to place a continuous cut therein, and sever the top from the can. t

Still another object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the type referred to, wherein a combined opener and drinking cup is provided, that is, after the cutter is employed to pierce the beer can top, Ythe applicator may be removed from the beer can, the contents of the can poured into the applicator, and the latter employed as a drinking cup.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter from the annexed specication and claims and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the invention, showing the same applied to a can, with the blade or cutter about to enter the can top,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, with a portion of the can broken away, and showing the device after the same has been longitudinally moved to effect piercing of lthe can head by the cutter,

Figure 3 is a plan view from the open end of the applicator, showing the cutter projecting from the bottom wall thereof,

Figure 4 is a perspective, detailed view of a metallic disk from which a portion is struck to form the cutter blade,

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 1, showing a slightly modified construction,

Figure 6 shows a view similar to Figure 2, after the can has been pierced by entrance of the cutter blade,

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 1--1 of Figure 6,

'and showing the cutter v'at the beginning of a circular-cut which is completed by relative rotationof the applicator and can, while Figure 8 is a perspective view of the exterior of the applicator, showing a roughened or knurled Surface to facilitate relative rotation when in use.

Asshown in Figures 1 through 4 of the drawing, the tubular applicator, or support I0, comprises a cylindrical tubular wall or sleeve Il, of suitable thickness, closed at one end by a thickened wall or bottom I2, and entirely open at the other nend, as indicated at I3 to form a container having one end open and the other end closed. The applicator IIJ preferably is molded from suitable plastic material, but may be formed of other material, as metal, for example. Fixed in the thickened bottom wall I2 of the applicator Il), as by molding the same therein, is a metallic disk or plate III, and struck inwardly from the disk I4 is a cutter blade I5. The cutter blade I5 is inclined somewhat With reference to the long axis of the applicator l0, and projects inwardly from the bottom Wall I2 an appreciable distance. The cutter blade I5 is substantially V-shaped in form, and at its outer end terminates in a relatively sharp point I6. The cutter is also transverselycurved substantially throughout its length to impart stiiness and rigidity thereto, and the lateral margins of the blade are sharpened, as at I1, to facilitate the operation of the cutting blade.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the applicator I0 is adapted to be telescopically disposed about an ordinary cylindrical filled beer can indicated at I8 and provided with the usual top wall I9. The applicator or tubular support I0, is of slightly greater diameter Ythan the can, as will be appreciated, it being evident that when the applicator is forced in a longitudinal direction with reference to the can I8, the cutter blade l5 will pierce the top I9 of the can, and by reason of its inclination and shape, the cutter blade will extend the cut radially of the can to form a triangular cut such as that shown at 2 in Figure 2. Usually it is desirable to form more than one of the openings 20 in the can top I9, and to effect this result theapplicator IIJ is moved to retract the cutter blade, the applicator rotated relatively to the can, and the piercing operation repeated'. 'When one or more holes have been made in the can top, the applicator may be removed, inverted, and beer poured from the can into the applicator, as in a cup or glass, and the beer quaied from the applicator.

Referring to Figures 5 through 8, the tubular applicator 2l, and the knife blade 22, are substantially identical to those already described, With the exception that the Wall 23 of the applicator 2| is made considerably shorter, so as to insure that an appreciable portion of the can 24 will project beyond the end of the wall 23 after the cutter blade '22 has penetrated the top 24a of the can 24, as best shown in Figure 6. Although the cutter blade 22 is shown as of the same configuration as that previously described,v in some instances it is desirable to cut down or` omit the inclination, flatten the blade transversely, or in some cases reverse the transverse curvature thereof. The outer periphery of the applicator 2l near the end 25, may have exterior ribs 2B provided thereon to facilitate grasping by the hand of the user and rotation of the applicator relatively to the can. As shown in Figure 6, the applicator 2| has been manipulated so that the cutter blade 22 has pierced the can top in the manner before described. The applicator is then grasped by one hand of the user, and the projecting end of the can by the other hand, and the can and applicator are relatively rotated. By reason of the sharpened edges 21 of the cutter blade 22, a circular cut is made in the can top and when continued results in the can top being entirely severed from the can. The inception of the circular cutting is illustrated in Figure 7. Contact between the tubular Wall of the applicator 2i and the can 25, of course, serves to guide the cutting member in this cutting operation. After the cutting operation is completed, the cupshaped applicator may be removed, along with the severed can top, and the applicator employed as a measuring or drinking cup, or the like.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such Variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A combination can opener and drinking cupcomprising a container having one end open and the other end closed, and a blade in the shape of a V from one end thereof to the other end thereof positioned in said containe1I adjacent one edge of said closed end thereof and secured to said closed end thereof and projecting from said closed end toward the center of said container, said blade being curved in transverse cross section, said container being adapted to be circumposed about a closed can and moved longitudinally of said can until said blade punctures the adjacent closed end of said can and then said container being adapted to be rotated with respect to said can causing said blade to make a circular cut to completely sever said adjacent closed end from said can.

2. A combination can opener and drinking cup comprising a cylindrical container having one end open and the other end closed, a plate positioned in said container and secured to said closed end thereof, and a blade in the shape of a V from one end thereof to the other end thereof positioned in said container adjacent one edge of said closed end thereof and secured to said plate and projecting from said plate toward the center of said container, said blade being curved in transverse cross section, said container being adapted to be circumposed about a cylindrical closed can and moved longitudinally of said can until said blade punctures the adjacent closed end of said can and then said container being adapted to be rotated with respect to said can causing said blade to'make a circular cut to completely sever said adjacent closed end from said Call.

NICHOLAS S. vECK'M."JfiEi-t.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 406,951 Perkins July 16, 1889 1,709,736 PaterrnannA Apr. 16, 1929 1,937,975 Mead Dec. 5, 1933 2,062,182 Kubitz Nov. 24, 1935 2,104,978. Evans' Jan. 11, 1938 2,190,275V Simunich Feb. 13, 1940 2,297,592 Walter Sept. 29, 1942 

